The Name's Bond climbs the ranks

MIAMI - Trust N Luck and Supah Blitz are clearly the top south Florida-based 3-year-olds. There is also little doubt who is No. 3 and rising fastest of all in the pecking order: The Name's Bond.

While Trust N Luck bedded down at Saratoga to await the Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes on Saturday and Supah Blitz returned from Mountaineer Park, where he finished fourth Aug. 9 in the West Virginia Derby, The Name's Bond stayed at home and won the Always Silver Stakes last Sunday. He showed his versatility by winning the six-furlong race after having kept a steady diet of two-turn races all year long.

The Always Silver was the third stakes win in 2003 for The Name's Bond, who missed two months this summer with a minor foot injury, which occurred just days before he would have gone off as the odds-on favorite in the Unbridled Stakes here June 21.

Because The Name's Bond is equally adept on turf or dirt, trainer Frank Gomez will likely set his sights on the Grade 3 Calder Derby, run on the grass here Oct. 11. That sets up a potential rematch with Supah Blitz, who also has shown ability on both surfaces.

Supah Blitz could make his next start in the Grade 3 Miami Mile, which highlights the Labor Day program on Sept. 1. Carded for 3-year-olds and up, the turf fixture has attracted a strong list of nominees, including the Christophe Clement-trained pair of Proud Man and Sir Brian's Sword, as well as former Miami Mile winners Mr. Livingston and Unite's Big Red.

Unite's Big Red back at 9

Unite's Big Red, now 9, is being pointed for the Miami Mile by trainer David Vivian Jr. A multiple graded-stakes winner, Unite's Big Red won the 1998 Miami Mile but has not started since finishing fourth behind Band Is Passing in the 2002 renewal.

"He has been training on the farm for three months before coming down to me, so he has a lot of foundation," Vivian said. "The big thing is that his feet are fine. Most of the time he missed over the years was due to foot problems."

Unite's Big Red has won 10 stakes during his career, most notably the 1999 Pan American (Grade 2) at Gulfstream Park, the 1998 Tropical Turf (Grade 3) at Calder, and the 1997 Palm Beach (Grade 3) at Gulfstream.

Cruz leads Castro by seven

With a pair of five-win days during the final week of July, apprentice Eddie Castro has suddenly made a race of what was shaping up to be a runaway by Manoel Cruz for the 2003 Calder jockey title. Castro pulled within a couple of wins of the lead this week only to have Cruz once again open daylight by posting four victories on Tuesday's card. Cruz will hold a seven-victory advantage, 101-94, when racing resumes on Friday.

Cruz and jockey Gary Boulanger dominated Tuesday's nine-race program. Boulanger added a hat trick to Cruz's four-bagger and is comfortably alone in third place in the standings. The 2003 meet ends on Oct. 24.

Boulanger will be out of town Saturday, traveling to New Jersey to ride Aeneas for trainer Marty Wolfson in the Grade 3 Iselin Handicap. Aeneas is coming off a second-place effort behind the odds-on Perfect Drift in the Grade 2 Washington Park Handicap. Aeneas was also second this winter in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap.

Second of June works mile

Second of June, an impressive maiden winner in his career debut and one of the more exciting 2-year-old prospects on the grounds, worked a mile in 1:48.80 for trainer Bill Cesare on Wednesday morning.

Cesare said Second of June could make his next start in the $50,000 Seacliff Stakes at a mile on Aug. 30, part of an all-2-year-old program that features the $125,000 Affirmed and Susan's Girl divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes.